Police chase in Bloomington ends in fatal crash

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (KMSP) - A Rockford, Minnesota, woman died on Saturday after a police chase ended in a violent crash in Bloomington.

The crash occurred at the intersection of American Boulevard and 34th Avenue, about a mile away from the Mall of America, and light rail service in the area was shut down for hours.

According to police, a silver Saturn sped through a red light on 34th Avenue, fleeing a Bloomington police officer attempting to stop the 27-year-old driver, Nicholas Lowers of Blaine, Minnesota. He was speeding and driving carelessly.

The Saturn initially collided with another car before slamming into a pole in the corner of the intersection, killing 24-year-old Sondra Heger.

Officials and law enforcement agencies spent several hours investigating the scene and what led up to the crash.

One witness spoke with Fox 9’s Samuel King, she saw the entire incident unfold from her apartment balcony nearby.

Using her iPad, Devon Bates recorded the scene below her 5th floor balcony after she heard squealing tires along with sirens.

Bates saw emergency crews attempting to get people out of the Saturn that crashed into the pole.

“They tried to get the door open, and then they went around to the other side of the car and they got the back seat open,” she told King. “They wound up pulling a female out and they performed CPR on her for a while.”

After EMTs took the injured driver to the hospital, the investigation continued.

Light rail service in the area was interrupted for hours, and was replaced by bus service in between the Mall of America and the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.

According to Bloomington police, the officer involved has been placed on a temporary leave.

The driver of the car hit by the Saturn, a 26-year-old woman from Bloomington, was not injured.